Final Preparations Before Departure

Abel sat up, rubbing his brow with the heels of his cloven hands. The dream had left him a terrific headache. He needed to speak with someone, someone he could trust in not repeating his words. Gadorian? 'No,' he thought as he folded his arms loosely in his lap, he wasn't able to answer his questions before. Jessie...well, not just yet...
Lent, he could speak with Lent. He raised his head, the long locks of raven hair sweeping past his grayish pale visage as he listened to the echoes in the cave. Footsteps, sharpening metal, voices that were not Lent's. He knew the footfalls, those were Izael's, so then the sharpening sounds were his only other option; he could hear nothing else.
Taking up his staff and having the wall lead him, Abel made his way toward the metal scrapes. "Lent... is that you?" "Yes, it is," he answered simply, glancing up for a moment to see who approached. Abel sat himself down before him, this was a tad too important to use time up even to ask permission. "I need to talk to you... it is about Kain..." Lent stopped sharpening his axe, and looked at Abel for a little while before answering.

"What about Kain?" Lent said with a hint of skepticism. He was very protective of his fallen god, and with good reason. There were those whose sole purpose was to find him and destroy him. Abel began to speak, but Lent grabbed the vampire's hand. "No, not here," Lent said. "Someone might listen. Follow me." The pair made their way deeper into the cave. Sounds of bats hanging on the stalactites echoed through the cavern. "I can't promise to answer all of your questions about him - my first responsibility is to protect my god. It is important that whatever we discuss remains between us, and never to be repeated out loud or in thought."

Gadorian led Izael outside, again nodding at Jessie as they passed. The two walked through the woods for some time, as Gadorian explained to Izael the trials that lay ahead. Finally, they found a spot where the setting sun had left a viridian hole in which they sat down. "So...we go to Dark Eden, and into the shrine, and then what? I still don't understand." "I don't know, Izael. The Path will be made for you, and no one else. I cannot tell you what you will face, only that you must be prepared to see the darkness of your soul manifest as tests greater than any you have ever faced before. When you reach the end, when we meet, you will be truly pure. We will repair the Seal." "You said you've done it before, yes? How exactly do we repair the Seal?" Gadorian lowered his head. "I...don't..remember."

Jessie stood silently against the wall, watching everyone else go about preparing for the journey ahead. She felt a pang of remorse when Abel chose to confide in someone else, but she pushed it aside when she considered what she had put him through with the HeartStone. He would talk to her when he was ready to, and she would be glad to listen.
The dull, constricted feeling in the back of Jessie's mind suddenly increased in intensity, gaining razor-sharp clarity. For a moment, Jessie could hear the thoughts of the Nerayan in her own mind. Their whispered message tried to entice Jessie into joining them. They hinted at power, energy, and anything a wraith could want. 'Anything except friends,' thought Jessie fiercely as she pushed the invading presence out of her mind. She would not allow herself to fall prey to their illusions. She knew what life would be like if she joined them, she knew what would happen to her friends, and she knew what she had to do. For now, though, she just waited patiently for her friends to set things in motion. She would help them when they needed it, but until then she had to remain in control of herself.

"And that is why I chose to speak with you..." Abel trailed off for a brief moment, though for himself it seemed like he fell silent for eternity. Was this truly a wise choice? He couldn't possibly find him on his own, he could barely be on his own to begin with. He continued, "I understand that you wish to protect your god, but it is also my responsibility to protect my brother. Whatever you can tell me would help me greatly in getting back to him." It was then that the resemblance became obvious, from the facial structure to the peaked hairline to the gold filmed eyes. He looked, however, shorter and frailer, like a raven haired Kain.
But the test came next as Abel fell silent once more in case Lent's reaction would interrupt. Would he believe him, or would it be too farfetched, or even wild, for him to buy? The current events didn't quite weigh in the blind vampire's favor either.

Novanus sat atop the rock face, his arms folded deep in meditation. He needed to restore his strength. He had found it incredibly difficult to even perform menial tasks with his mental abilities, now he was rapidly regaining his strength as his mind recovered from its encounter with the Nerayan. The vampire sat in silence, his mind a whirl of images that he needed to un-jumble.
A few hours later, Novanus moved for the first time, his eyes snapping open. He felt like himself once more, although changed. The purpose of the group's mission had always been a prevalent motivational force for Novanus, but now it dominated his thoughts. He and the others had a task to perform

Thoughts raced through Izael's mind. They had to repair the Seal so that the Nerayan couldn't enter this realm, but they knew not how. "Then, perhaps, we should search for this information before rushing into things?" he asked. Gadorian shook his head, "No, there is to time for that. I can only pray that I will remember things once I am at the Seal again." Izael nodded. "Well, then, when shall we move out? I feel I am ready. Now with all what you've told me, I think I can face the Dark Eden and its horrors."

Jessie was standing by the entrance to the cave when Gadorian and Izael came back. Izael had a fierce, determined look on his face that could only mean Gadorian had told him about Dark Eden. Jessie hoped Izael's bravery would get him through everything unharmed.
The Nerayan had given up on Novanus for the moment because Lessa knew how to ward them off. This was good, but it meant that they now were focusing their full attention on Jessie. Jessie wanted it that way. She knew she was strong enough to withstand them and she did not want her friends to become possessed. Lessa had barely survived it herself, and the others did not have Lessa's strong regenerative abilities.
The Nerayan were now constantly bombarding Jessie with pleas, promises, and waves of emotion that she knew weren't hers. She had become quite skilled at drowning out emotions over the years, so she blocked these without much effort. The Nerayan were, for now, nothing more than an annoying, whining voice she had to ignore. However, she knew that as she neared Dark Eden she would be traveling closer to them and the voice would grow stronger. She absent-mindedly cradled her wrists in her hands, running her fingers over the concealed daggers, as her friends gathered in the cave entrance to begin the journey.

The Deva led the trio out of the small anti-chamber into the vast space housing the crimson pool Kour had first encountered on his way in. The air, hot and languid, rose as steam formed on the surface, distorting the view across the liquid filled chasm. The grotto walls seemed to undulate in this less than hospitable environment.
As three made their way around the edge, the Deva stopped short of the end and turned facing the lake. Bent in a posture now familiar, the creature raised her head, arms forward, and called out, "Eti Ahn Ma Tana!" The surface began to bubble. The once sickening thick liquid now glittered like a prism of fragmented light. The liquid slowly dissolved into the air, sparkling like a thousand shattered rubies and revealing a rock-encrusted path below. "This way," the Deva motioned to the two visitors, and the trio continued their way down into the depths of the grotto.

Lessa awoke and rose to the mouth of the cave. There she saw Gadorian and Izael returning to the group. From the determined look on both of their faces, finally the end was near. "So we have a destination, by the look of you, Gad. Where do we head?" she asked as they sat. "We go to Dark Eden. There Izael and I must gain entry to the trials, while to you, my friends, falls the task of guarding our backs." Gadorian spoke to them all in a strong but sad tone.
Lessa knew from his tone that those guarding the back would have the hardest task. The Nerayan were at their strongest there. She could slow them with the song but it would not take them long to figure out it was her singing it, and all would head for her. That did not scare her, but she must sing the song flawlessly for it to work. Singing in a cave to protect someone while they slept was one thing, in a middle of a battle another.
No matter, she would do what she must, but something came to her that made her gasp. The others looked at her, thinking she had been taken over, but in truth she now knew why they had bound her. They could not touch her. She burned them as much as they did her, but they had torn from her mind in that touch the location of the blade that was brother to the Reaver...the vampires' bane...Vukodlak.
The blade was made by those that were banished by the vampires. If the blade was to cut a vampire, it would taint the vampire's blood. There was no cure; they would not need one, for it would only change vampire blood. The vampire would die, its blood turning black slowly. Even if the vampire was to drink another vampire's blood, it would not help. It was a painful death. The blade had been entombed in Dark Eden, and now, thanks to her, the Nerayan knew exactly where to find it.

Lent stood up with out saying anything. "Where are you going?" Abel asked him. Lent tersely answered, "Away, I will not listen to this." "You must believe me." "I must do nothing. And I see no reason to tell you anything. All you need to know is that he is alive. And if you stay alive long enough, you are sure to meet him. Then we will see if there is truth to your story."
Lent left Abel in the dark. Abel hadn't really asked him a specific question at all, he just asked him to tell all he knew about Kain. Lent wasn't the type of person to speak just to hear himself talk, especially about Kain. He might be a vampire worshipper, but in his eyes Kain was his only god. In his heart, Lent didn't believe Abel at all. Sure, he resembled Kain somewhat, but Kain had been prophesied for eons, and his name was already legend. Finding an icon of him wasn't impossible, and magic could easily be used to give the guise of someone else. Lent also knew that this vampire was far older than Kain; his wings attested to that fact. Lent wondered if Abel really was a vampire, for Lent never recalled seeing him drink.
Lent regrouped with the others. Whatever was to come for the future, Lent would make sure he kept his distance from Abel. Lent wondered what his real motivation was behind his dire search for Kain. Lent knelt down to his bag and began to rummage through it. He heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Jessie. Lent had felt her eyes upon him for quite some time, and whenever he looked at her he had a strange feeling of deja-vu. There was something nostalgic and almost familiar to her. "Are you going to just sneak behind me all day?" Lent asked.

Able let Lent leave, hanging his head with a sigh. He knew this was going to be difficult, but at least he knew now that Kain was alive. But how much longer was this going to take now that he just burned a helpful bridge? He wiped away the crimson tear roughly, putting a bloodless cut across his cheek. If he wasn't going to be taken seriously, then fine. Abel would deal with Lent another time, without the others around. Until then he would just keep his business to himself unless Jessie knew anything, but he was still unsure about her. He would just have to trust time. The kindred stood with his staff and headed out into the forest, passing the companions who had gathered. "A-Abel where are yo..." Gadorian began. "Ahead," he interrupted, stepping over the flattened thicket, "I need to think. I will..." Abel stopped, catching himself after he tripped. "I will catch up with you later." It wasn't long before he was just a feathered figure in the far off trees.

Jessie tilted her head slightly to the side while considering Lent's question. In truth, she had only been curious, but Lent made it sound like she had some devious motive for spying on him. She said, "Abel was telling the truth. He was Kain's older brother in their human life. He became a vampire when he was young, though, and he possesses an unusual degree of power. That is why he evolved so quickly."
Lent laughed at this, surprised that Jessie would so quickly come to Abel's defense. "So, what would you have me do? Reveal Kain's location to any strange vampire who comes along claiming he's related?" "No," Jessie said quietly. "You should keep that information secret. But you could have been nicer about it." With that, Jessie walked outside to rejoin the others. She heard Lent's footsteps as he followed suit, but she was paying attention to Abel as he walked off through the forest. She hesitated. She wanted to follow after Abel and talk with him, but he might just need some time alone.

Novanus watched Abel disappear into the trees, his feathered wings fading slowly into the gloom of night. Since his past dealings with the Nerayan, Novanus had become more reclusive, seeking solace from the reality of Admar's death on his own. He stared intently into the flames of the fire which they had built. The flames danced wildly, casting bizarre shadows across the whole camp. However, its comforting light suffused his being with a sense of warmth so that the cold wind had no effect on him. Novanus leaned back against the tree trunk which supported him. It was time for change.

Gadorian stepped up to the fire around which the group was gathered. The ground behind him quivered in an orgy of shadow and light as he spoke. "There is nothing left for us here. We must leave tonight." Jessie looked up at him with an injured look in her eyes, "And Abel?" "He's fully capable of catching up with us later. He can find us with the whisper, and it's about time he learned to use his wings." Jessie did not seem altogether appeased. "I...can't make you, nor anyone else, go if they do not wish so. You may stay behind with Abel, to rejoin me later if that is what you want." Gadorian began to walk off but stood just within the halo of warmth cast by the fire. The light still enveloped his body, just barely, but he was inches away from plunging headlong into the darkness ahead...

Jessie looked at Gadorian, outlined in the warm glow of the fire, then she looked off into the darkness where Abel had traveled. She had to make a choice now, to follow Gadorian or Abel, and she didn't know what to do. They would need her to help them fight when they got to Dark Eden, but they would need Abel as well. She didn't know if they could succeed without him. She finally decided to tap into her ability to whisper to vampires and she sent a message to Abel, "Where are you? Do you want to talk to me? We are leaving now for Dark Eden, there is no more time to waste, but we can't survive without your help. Will you come with us? Please." She wandered over to a tree just out of the fire's light and leaned against it, waiting for Abel's reply.

Nearby, Izael exclaimed, "Finally we leave! Let us make haste to the Dark Eden and end this threat once and for all!" With that, Izael stood up, took the Sword and started walking into the night. "His optimism can be sickening, can't it?" whispered Novanus to Gadorian. Gadorian shrugged, casting off the other vampire's attempt at humor. Novanus responded, "Well then, in that case it's time we finished this business, isn't it?" Novanus walked ahead of Gadorian, his red coat splaying in the wind.

Jessie decided that she couldn't afford to wait any longer. The others were already leaving, entering the darkness and ready to continue the journey. She waited until they had all left the firelight behind, then she sent one more message to Abel, "We have already begun the journey. I am going with them, but whisper me whenever you want to and I will respond." She lingered a bit, hoping for a reply, then she reluctantly moved to catch up with Novanus. Abel would come when he was ready, but until then, it would be best to let him sort himself out without interference. Dark Eden waited for them in the darkness ahead. So did the Nerayan.

As the group made their way down, Kour took a moment to look at the cave walls around them. Weaved into the rock were ribbons of red crystal, a sparkling in the dimness providing the only light source to them. Kour wondered if this was the way the world looked ages ago, before its treasures were ripped from their natural home.
"Here we are," the Deva said as she approached the entrance with two large stone doors blocking their way. As they approached, the doors opened to reveal a vast cavern, the ceiling so high it was impossible to tell where it ended. On the walls were stores of books from history past, manuscripts long forgotten, and texts illuminated with colors that looked as if they were painted yesterday. "I hid them," she explained as she pulled one from the shelf, turned the pages, and remembered. "Every lifetime I hid one or two… in places I'd remember the next time around. Quite a collection, eh?"
Kour looked on, speechless. He could spend a lifetime in this priceless library. As his eyes passed over ancient texts that hadn't seen the light of day for centuries, he marveled at the knowledge preserved here. One manuscript caught his eye, an image on the binding, oddly familiar. As he came closer, he recognized the symbol…the same symbol engraved on his cuff. It was the Insignia of the Order.